Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale now promoting its Christmas Day service online after initially announcing a Dec. 25 closure
Posted on 12/19/2005 6:23:54 AM PST by NYer
With many large churches across the U.S. announcing they won't be open on Christmas Day, some pastors are defending their decision to stay closed, even going so far as to blast those who question their motives.
Among them is Jon Weece, pastor of Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., who received complaint e-mails from Christians in all 50 states.
"I was deeply saddened by the knee-jerk response of the Christian community as a whole to give the benefit of the doubt to the media and not a church or a brother in Christ," Weece said in his Dec. 10 sermon. "I'm still troubled that more Christians in this community specifically did not stand up for us knowing what this church represents."
(Audio of the entire sermon is available here.)
Weece blamed Satan the devil for using the Christmas issue as a distraction, prompting Christians to bicker among themselves.
"People are not the enemy," he said. "The devil is, and it is obvious that he has been at work in this situation."
Weece said the services being offered on Christmas Eve were still technically the "first day of the week" if one went by the custom of starting days at sunset, which some believe was the case in Jesus' day.
He went on to note: "Christmas began as a pagan holiday to the Roman gods, and if we were to really celebrate the historical birth of Jesus, it would either be in January or mid-April. I'm only pointing out the historical technicalities not out of intellectual arrogance, but again because of the illogical, ill-informed and even hypocritical arguments that were aimed at me personally this last week."
Weece also said Jesus himself walked all over opinion and tradition: "Do not lose sight of the controversy that Jesus incited by turning traditions on their head. And always remember in the economy of Jesus, the one whose birthday so many are claiming to be so passionate about, Jesus placed value and emphasis on people over policy and procedure and protocol every single time."
Meanwhile, the largest Christian church in South Florida has reversed itself on its closure Christmas Day, and now says it will be open for a single service next Sunday morning, Dec. 25.
Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale now promoting its Christmas Day service online after initially announcing a Dec. 25 closure |
Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale originally decided to give its members and workforce a day off to spend with their families on Christmas, even though it falls on Sunday, its traditional day of worship. Instead, it had scheduled a slate of extra services for Saturday night, Christmas Eve.
 Pastor Bob Coy |
"I've been called a bad person and a shame to Christianity," pastor Bob Coy told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It made me realize that many people misunderstood our motives."
But after an onslaught of negative public reaction from both inside and outside his congregation, Coy had a change of heart.
"Say it isn't so," read one e-mail, according to Coy. "You're shutting your doors on Jesus' birthday. I'm appalled at the message you're sending to the community."
Coy also was advised by some church members who said they wouldn't be able to attend services on Christmas Eve, and preferred to come on the actual holiday.
"Christmas is filled with unrealistic expectations," he said. "I don't want to fuel that. If people need Jesus on Christmas, I want to make Him available."
The entire issue has exacerbated the national Christmas controversy at a time which many believe is supposed to harken back to the Gospel of Luke's "peace on Earth."
"There is no biblical mandate that we meet on Sunday, only that we meet," writes Larry Baden in an online messageboard. "This is clearly a nonessential issue. Nobody's orthodoxy stands or falls on having a Sunday service. Nobody's salvation depends on having a Sunday service."
Minister Jeff Chitwood contends: "I think the issue centers on canceling worship on a day that is supposed to be centered on Christ. Too many times the church accuses the world of taking Christ out of Christmas but now the church is the one changing things because a day centered on Christ conflicts with schedules. What kind of message does it send to those who we have condemned in the past? At our church we are rescheduling service times but not eliminating the opportunity to worship on a day centered on Christ."
One poster said true worship is about much more than just singing or attending a church service.
"The way I greet my family when I go home from work is an act of worship. The way I talk to my co-workers. The dedication I give to my employer. The passion and inspiration I find in teaching or writing or editing or reading or mowing the lawn or ironing my shirts. ...
"Let's all just focus on God this Sunday. He's a big Guy. I'm sure those who look for him will find him – even if they don't set foot in a church building."
Then what were Paul and Peter and the other Jewish Apostles doing in the Synagogues on Saturday? Just visiting?
You mean to imply that the Baptists knew what the New Testament Christianity is all about? My dear friend, there was no Bible to tote around for many centuries, and then it was in a languge only few understood, and even fewer could read, or afford for that matter.
On the contrary, "keeping Sunday" is not an essential issue. And because you are "pissed off" over it, spiritual immaturity is not your only problem - your emotional immaturity will guarantee that you will stay that way.
OK, then I guess you won't mind when your town decides to celebrate the 4th of July next year (Tuesday) on the 8th of July (Saturday) because it's more convenient...?
A stunning remark.
We never have a Christmas morning service. We have young pastors, and they celebrate with their families. I don't think it is worth arguing about. As for the 4th...fireworks are on saturday which is rarely the actual 4th. In my opinion, this is much ado about nothing.
I love my church. I always go on Christmas Eve. I don't care. I suppose if our parish wanted Christmas day services then we would have them. Personally, I like the fact that our young pastor is with his children-tough job being a Pastor.
The bible says good works will not guarantee you a place in heaven. But if Christ is in your heart usually the fruit of the spirit manifests itself in good works.
'I don't need a church building to be close to God'
I do take offense to that. My church doesn't even have a building. We meet at a local school. It cost too much money for us to afford a building. We are in San Jose, California, and it cost over a million dollars just to buy a house.
We've even lost our school several summers. One year, we had to meet at another church on Saturday night. We almost didn't have that, so we were thinking of just meeting at local parks on Sunday mornings.
In California, it is very hard to find truly devoted Christians. I've been to a number of churches, and I found them either promoting the homosexual agenda or the other extreme promoting operation rescue and very hate oriented.
The church that I am with now is full of very nice people that are more into real service than anything else. They'd rather spend money helping other people than buying a building to hold services.
Go check out the Baptist churches in Texas. Very elaborate!
So, his excuse is that December 25th doesn't really mean anything...
He more or less is upset that people dare question him. Well, when you close church on Christmas, prepare to be questioned.
Some people are perpetually pissed off. God must be very pleased that they spend their life seeking out petty things to be pissed off about.
Churches do things all the time that I think are silly - rather than getting pissed off, I just don't go to those churches.
Waitaminute! When did P-Marlowe get promoted to "heretic"? I thought that was my job!
Ah one who see's truth :>}. I do wonder how many demanding the doors be open Christmas Day actually hold positions in the church? And now let's consider the most over worked and likely least recognized workers in the church the women. Yes the one who plays the piano, organ, runs the nursery, lower ages Sunday School Classes, organizes fund drives etc. Hey what about mom huh?
Would Jesus want to see mom worked to the near ends of her physical and mental capabilities trying to host the family in for Christmas, cook meals, keep house, and plan Sundays lessons as well? An over worked mom who didn't go out of town and has relatives visiting her home perhaps? What about the complainers? How many complaining actually hold positions in the church and will be out of town Christmas Day? Who will do your job then? You made an obligation to the church when you took the job to be there right? Yes uh but gosh we want to see our families back in Dogpatch. Why do you think it right for you to go out of town on one of the most sacred days of the year and let someone do your work at your church?
A Christmas Eve service should suffice as much so as any Family Gathered At Their Homes in HIS Name {where He shall be also} enjoying peace, Celebrating Christ birth, and helping mom out as well.
You are in error.
Your position is not orthodox or Reformed. You are a heretic.
From the Westminster Confession of Faith:
VII. As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He has particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him:[34] which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week: and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week,[35] which, in Scripture, is called the Lord's Day,[36] and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.[37]
VIII. This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their wordly employments and recreations,[38] but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.[39]
IMHO, let the pastor knock himself out. If He sincerely belives His works for the Lord are better served in canceling a service, then more power to him.
From my perspective, if I were a pastor-teacher, I don't know of many other grander opportunities to witness about Christ to believer and unbeliever alike than on Christmas Morn.
Of course, he does nothing to try to get his church to be the church. He doesn't organize anything to do that.
He is just putting on a good show for his congregation.
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